The Haryana government has handed over the case pertaining to reallotment of a plot in Panchkula to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) -- involving former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda -- to the CBI for probe.
"This case (AJL) will be probed by CBI. The investigation will commence soon," Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told reporters.
Notably, Haryana state vigilance bureau had registered a case of cheating and corruption against former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and four Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) officials for allegedly realloting the plot in 2005.
The case under various IPC sections, including criminal breach of trust by a public servant, cheating, criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Hooda, the then HUDA chairman, a post held by him ex-officio as the CM, and four of his top officials.
The plot had been initially allotted to AJL, the owner of National Herald newspaper, in 1982. After the expiry of the lease period in 1996, the then Haryana Vikas Party goverment led by Bansi Lal resumed its possession. It was reallotted to AJL after the Congress leader came to power in 2005.
The vigilance bureau had alleged that the act by the then HUDA chairman and the officials had caused a huge financial loss to the public sector undertaking as the plot should have been sold through open auction instead of being allotted again to AJL.
Hooda had then alleged it was political vendetta.
